MISSISSAUGA - It took eight years, but Jarious Jackson has finally become a Toronto Argonaut.

The veteran quarterback signed with Toronto on Wednesday after seven seasons and two Grey Cup championships with the B.C. Lions.

"It'll be different, but it'll be fine," said Jackson. "At the end of the day, it's still football. It's new coaches and new faces and getting to know people -- but I've never been afraid of change before."

The Lions released the 34-year-old Jackson on Feb. 1 because they wanted to give third-stringer Mike Reilly a chance to be a backup and get more practice reps for Corey Leonard while moving him up a notch from No. 4.

The Argos originally held Jackson's CFL rights after placing him on their secretive negotiation list. But when Jackson looked to play in the CFL in 2004 after being released by the NFL's Denver Broncos, he discovered that former Toronto general manager Bob O'Billovich had taken him off the Argos list and subsequently put him on the B.C. list after joining the Lions.

So Jackson wound up signing with the Lions. In the intervening years when he was a free agent, Jackson negotiated with the Argos but remained a Lion.

"During negotiations, in the past two or three times that I've been a free agent, Toronto has pretty much always been in the mix as a team that kept coming up and possibly wanted to sign me. That's why I say maybe the third time's the charm."

Jackson captured Grey Cups with B.C., in 2006 and 2011, and had 22 starts in 108 regular-season appearances with the Lions. He has also played in eight post-season games with B.C.

Argos general manager Jim Barker is looking to Jackson, one of the most popular players in the B.C. dressing room, to continue his former Lions role of providing leadership and valuable experience as backup Ricky Ray, acquired in a December trade from Edmonton.

"We felt with Ricky we needed to have a (back-up) with big-game experience," said Barker. "This is obviously an important year for us."

Toronto will hold the 100th edition of the Grey Cup, and the Argos hope to be the Eastern Conference team using their dressing room in late November. During his career, Jackson has passed for more than 7,000 yards and 51 touchdowns and rushed for more than 1,000 yards and eight more majors.

With B.C., he mentored a young quarterback in Travis Lulay, 28, helping him capture the CFL's most outstanding player award in his first full season as a starter. Even though Ray, 32, has more experience than Lulay, including three Grey Cup appearances and two titles, Barker still expects Jackson to be a mentor to the veteran.

"When we signed Jackson, we signed the whole package," said Barker.

He said both Ray and Jackson are pocket passers who can run, but Jackson can do more on the ground. Hopefully, said the GM, Ray will stay healthy and Jackson will not have to play much.

But Jackson is still expected to play an important short-yardage role and may hold on field goals for Noel Prefontaine. Last season, Jackson helped Lions kicker Paul McCallum kick a record 30 consecutive three-pointers while making 50 of 53 total attempts. He also helped McCallum post a perfect 48-for-48 mark on converts.

"It might be a little different," said Jackson of holding for Prefontaine. "I might be a little shaky holding for a left-footed kicker. Going the other way, it may be a learning curve for myself."

Jackson did not start any games in 2011 and threw for one touchdown while completing 18 of 39 pass attempts for a 55.8 per cent completion rate. He has started only one game in the past two seasons.

But Barker feels he will be ready to start several games, if necessary, after using 2011 to recuperate from shoulder surgery that limited his activity in 2010.

"In 2010, I was coming off a shoulder surgery from 2009 that happened in September or so when we played Montreal," said Jackson. "Going into 2010, I was still healing from my shoulder surgery and I wasn't fully healed yet, and it took pretty much all of 2010, or until halfway or three-quarters of the season was over, before my arm started feeling a little better again.

"My arm was totally fine all of last year. But Lulay played the whole season. He was pretty healthy. ... I think more the shoulder injury had to do with me not playing in 2010 more than anything. I'm 100 per cent now."

Jackson signed for a year plus an option after bypassing a chance last winter to become the Argos' starter because he did not feel completely comfortable signing with Toronto. Barker said the club evaluated Jackson's health a year ago, so it did not check the shoulder again.

The GM said he expects Ray to play another five or six seasons. But he will have to see Jackson in training camp before he can estimate how long the Tupelo, Miss., native can keep playing.

Jackson said he just wants to contribute in any way possible. He is not ready to call it a career yet.

"I'm going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off," said Jackson.